Fuse clip lock



March 21, 1933. F C LA MAR 1,902,804

FUSE CLIP LOCK Filed March 3, 1932 Vac-:13-

INVENTOR /9 /525 Mwfaha/a/ Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT ol-Ficlsz` i y FRANK C. LA HAR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T0 GREAT WESTERN FUSE GOI- PANY, 0F NEW YORKN. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FUSE CLIP LOCK Application iled March 3, 1982. Seria-1 No. 598,452.

This invention relates to a thermal electric fuse, particularly of the cartridge type, and

more especially to a means for assurin the retention of such a fuse in clips and in icating the integrity thereof.

The ordinary and well known cartridge type fuse, used for the protection ofv electric circuits, is ordinarily positioned in clips, one at each end. These clips are ordinarily made of spring material, and so formed as to retain the cartridge fuse in place'therein by friction. A. continued and repeated removal and l replacement of fuses in the clips, in time,

so decreases their holding power that vibration or jarring may cause the cartridge fuse to fall out.

A principal object of applicantls invention is the provision of a lock for application to the clips used for assuring the proper positioning and retaining of a cartridge fuse in its clips.

further object of the invention is the combination, with such a lock, of a means for indicating the integrity of the fuse.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing and the several views thereon, 1n

which' like characters of reference will designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which: Y

Figure 1,is a front elevational view of a pair of. ordinary and well known cartridge fuse clips, a cartridge fuse in place therein, and a combined clip lock and fuse integrity indicator constructed in accordance with applicants invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, with some parts in section to more clearly illustrate the construction, of the device as shown by Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device as shown by Fig. 1;.Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the locking finger members of applicants invention; Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified.

- port is made of insulating material and generally is positioned vertically.

The support lis orificed, as at 2 and 3,

for the reception of supporting means, such as bolts, as 4, which pass therethrough and through clips as 5 and 6. Nuts as '1, screw threadin ly engaged with a bolt, as 3, serve to firmly ind the clips to the support 1. The clips as 5, are commonly formed of a single strip of material which after being properly slit is bent into a somewhat general U shape, asbest shown in Fig. 3. The partially separated portions formed by slitting, such as 8, are bent inwardly, whereas the remaining portions of the legs of the U, as 9 and 10, are bent outwardly. The outwardly bent portions are formed so as to substantially coincide with the portion of the peripheral surface of the end of the cartridge fuse which is to be inserted therein, while the bentA in portions 8 lie opposite the end of the cartridge fuse and thereby prevent endwise V13', are pushed into the clip from the open end thereof, forcing the legs apart until the ferrules restwithin the curved out portions 9 and l0. When the fuse is in such position, if the clips, as 5, are in good condition, with plenty of spring tension therein, the cartridge fuse should be fairly well heldbut if the clips are old, and if fuses have been repeatedly inserted and removed therefrom, the sprin tension of the clips will be so detei'orate that they are not suiliciently resilient to properly .retain'the cartridge therein if subjected to violent vibration. y

In order to properly retain 'the cartridge within the clips, even in spitel of violent vibration, applicant has provided a combined clip lock and fuse integrity indicator.

Applicants lock provides pairs of locking ngers, as 13v and 14, best shown in Fig. 3, which are adapted to contact with the outside of the prongs or legs of the U-shaped clipand force them together.

Applicant provides a pair of locking fingers for each clip. The locking fingers are provided with any appropriate means for drawing 4them together. In the particular form selected by applicant, each lockin finger forms a prolongation of a locking nger member. These locking finger members are provided with means for drawing the locking fingers together and separatin them, and with means for. causing the gers to be cooperatively related.

Locking finger 13, as bestshown by Fig. 4, forms a prolongation of a plate 15 which has a struck-up portion 16 provided with an oritice 17.

Locking finger 14 forms a prolongation of a plate 18 .formed with a struck-up portion 19 having a screw threaded orifice 20 therein. The plate 18 is also formed with' bent over and under portions 21, 22, 23 and 24, as best shown in Fig. 4. These bent over and under portions, asl 21 and 22, serve to receive and retain the plate 15 in close and slidable relation with the plate 18.

In order to slide `one 'plate 15 relatively t0 another plate 18, applicant provides the handle bolt 25, best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The bolt 25 has a manually operable handle 26 on one end thereof, passes through the struckup portion 16 of plate 15, screw threadingly engages the struck-up portion 19 of plate 18, and is formed with sleeves 26 and 27, one on each side of the plate 18. This construction is such that a manipulation of the han-` dle 26 causes a rotation of the threaded bolt 25 within the screw threaded orifice 20 of struck-up portion 19 of plate 18 and in accordance with the direction of rotation causes the plates 15 and-18 to slide one on the other so that the locking fingers, as 13 and 14 are either caused to approach or reced one from the other.- When the locking fingers, as 13 and 14, are caused to approach, the legs of the U-shaped clipk 5 are forced closer together and in closer contact with the cartridge fuse- 11 so that it is thereby rmly held in the clips. If it is desired to remove the cartridge, then the locking fingers 13 and 14 are caused to recede one from the other to such an extent that they. may be'removed entirely from the clip, whereupon the cartridge fuse 11 may be removed and another put in place thereof, after which the locking fingers 13 and 14 are positioned again as shown in Fig. 3.

The near sides of plates 18 receive the ends of a fuse integrity indicator. In order to facilitate the reception and positioning of the ends of the fuse integrity indicator, applicant prefers to provide the near sides of the plate 18,-as shown in Fig. 1, and in detail in Fig. 4, with upstanding portions 26" and with a screw threaded orifice 27 This construction permits the ends, as 28 and 29, of a fuse indicator 30 to be nicely positioned u .75 on the near edges of the plates 18 and attached to those plates by means'of the head-- ed screws as 31.

The fuse integrity indicator may be of vav lrious forms. The essential requisite is that so -it shall include means exhibiting a distinctive indication that the fuse material 12 is destroyed. In the particular form shown by applicant, the fuse integrity indicator includes a lamp 32, preferably of the neon filled type, which becomes lighted when the yther- -mal fuse becomes destro ed. One terminal of this lamp is connecte as by the wire'33, preferably through a resistance, as 34, to a metallic eiid ferrule 35. The other terminal of the. lamp is connected, as by avconductor 36, preferably through a resistance, as 37, to another metallic end ferrule 38. Each of the end ferrules is firmly attached to the metallic v `in the ferrules 35 and 38.

If the fuse material 12 of the cartridge fuse becomes severed, as by overloading, then the current fiows throu h lamp 32 and causes 105 it to glow, indicating t at the cartridge fuse before which it is mounted is inoperative.

In Figs.'5 and 6 a modified form of manual-- ly operablehandle is shown. This handle,

esignated as a whole by 42, may be made of any desired and appropriate material 4and includes an internal tooth member or gear 43. This member 43 may be made in any desired L manner, but preferably, as. an insert piece, and of metal.

l On the bolt 25 a pinion 44 is positioned having teeth meshing with the internal gear 43. The handle member 442 is retained` in place with its teeth in mesh with the teethof the pinion 44 or in any appropriate manner, but 120 preferably by forming the thread 45 on the end of the bolt 25 and engaging therewith an internal threaded nut 46.

The advantage of the modified manually operable handle 42 resides in the fact that 125.'

moved and rotated about the axis of the shaft 25 to a proper position, and then returned to place and the nut 46 put back. .By such movement the manually operable handles as 46, corresponding to hand1es'26 of Figs. 1, 2' and 3, may be so placed upon the bolts 25 that they w1ll assume the position as shown in Fig. 2 when the locking has been eii'ected.

Applicants device forms a unitary means manipulative as a single device which may be placed in position upon the clips holding a cartridge fuse in place so as to assure the certain retention of the cartridge fuse in place, and at the same time indicate the integrity of the thermal fuse material within the cartridge fuse.

Although I have particularly described vone physical embodiment of my invention,

.and explained the principle, and construction thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative but does not exhaust the ossible physical embodiments of the idea o means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a combined clip lock and fuse integrity indicator, in combination two separated pairs of locking fingers adapted to contact with and press together the free ends of the legs of two separated substantially U- shaped fuse clips; means for causin locking fingers to approach and/or recege one from the other and means associated with said last named means for indicating the integrity of a fuse in the clips. 2. In a combined clip lock and fuse in-. tegrity indicator, in combination: two separated pairs of locking yfingers adapted to contact with and press together the free ends fof the legs of two separated substantially U- shaped fuse clips; meansfor causing the locking fingers to approach and/or recede one from the other; andan electric lamp including two terminals, one of which is conductively connected to one of said pair of said locking fingers, and the other of which is conductively connected to the otherof said pair of locking fingers whereby a destruction of a thermal element connecting the U- shaped clips causes the -lamp to become lighted.

3. In a clip lock, in combination: two sepa- 55K rated locking fingers, adapted to contact with and press together the free ends of the legs of a substantially U-shaped fuse clip; two plates, one carrying one locking iinger, and the other carrying vthe other locking finger; anupstanding projection formed witha threaded orifice on one of said plates ;`an upstanding projection upon the other of said plates; a screw threaded bolt having its thread engaging the threaded orifice formed in the upstanding projection of the other plate; means to prevent said bolt from movof the legs of two separated substantially U shaped clips; means including a threaded bolt with a rotatively adjustab e manually operable handle on one end thereof for causing the locking ngersto approach and/or recede one from the other.

5.. In a clip lock, in combination: a threaded bolt for pressing together the free ends of the legs of two se arated fuse cli portions; a manuallyV operable handle on t e bolt for manipulating the bolt, said bolt being provided with a plurality of rojecting teeth and said manually operab e handle being provided with corresponding projecting teeth whereby the bolt and handle may be engaged in various relative rotative positions; and means for holding the handle in position on the bolt.

' FRANK C. LA MAR.

the., 

